The Best Bard builds in Lost Ark

Light, fast, and mostly combat-averse, the Bard is the most support-oriented class that Lost Ark has to offer those looking to play mostly with friends.

Chipping away at enemy health bars with a creative and artistic skillset, she excels where her tankier teammates lure hordes into her concert.

Playstyle: Your fight, not mine

While equipped to dish out slight damage, the Bard does so from a safe distance, using repeating, AoE-based long-range skills to keep her foes occupied.

• Dissonance: Deploys an AoE series of “notes” on the ground that slightly damage and slow the movement speed of any enemy caught within its range
• Sonic Vibration: Staggers and knocks down all enemies within range of the attack, over a series of four music blasts
• Stigma: Casting spell that, upon a successful cast, blasts in an AoE five times, with each attack ramping up in damage

If overrun, the Bard can make use of several survivability skills to keep herself alive.

• Wind of Music: Summons an AoE spell from the user’s feet, knocking foes back and away
• Conviction Core: Preemptively summons three “core” shields that explode on enemies if they get too close to the Bard, but dissipate if unused after some time

Related: Lost Ark PvE Classes Tier List – The Best Characters for PvE

The Serenade Meter: An actual healer

Beyond simply looking like they’re contributing to fights, Bards have an important incentive driving them to deal damage regularly — charging their Serenade Meter.

Dealing enough damage to fill the charge will provide Bards with the means of granting substantial support to her teammates.

• Serenade of Courage: Provides a team-wide damage buff of up to 15%, scaling with the amount of charge built in the Serenade Meter.
• Serenade of Salvation: Provides healing to teammates of up to 16 times 8% of the Bard’s maximum total health, based on the amount of charge in the meter when the skill is used.

Related: The Best Gunlancer builds in Lost Ark